Herman Gibbs
THE University of Cape Town (UCT) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) launched the CAF Football Management Executive Programme in the Mother City this week.
UCT will present this flagship programme that will offer training to upskill African football administrators, starting with the general secretaries of the CAF member associations.
Former Fifa official Sarah Mukuna, the CAF director of member associations, said 28 African countries are represented in the launch phase of the programme.
“Led by the vision of our president Patrice Motsepe to make African football globally competitive and self-sustaining, we looked for a programme to upskill our member associations,” said Mukuna.
“CAF can only be as great as its member associations, so it was important to empower them.
“The general secretaries are the core of the member associations, the CEOs if you wish, of football in their nations. We can upskill them and empower them and their administration through education.
“We identified areas of focus like governance, financial management, compliance, legal and project management. The knowledge of these elements will help to make strong administrators in football.
“We decided not to drive this programme ourselves. We wanted to ensure we are innovative and creative in supporting our member associations to become leaders and visionaries.
“We knew that we had to partner with a university and decided on the University of Cape Town, the best university on the African continent.
“This would help us ensure that innovation and visionary thinking were part of the programme.”
Motsepe said he was mindful of the role of the secretary-general, and they need to be compensated financially.
“The secretary-general has got a family, a wife and children or a husband and children,” said Motsepe.
“We must look at those things and ensure we pay our people.
“For those member associations with money, it is not an issue. I’m not worried about those who’ve got money. I’m proud of that.
“I am worried about 65, 70 percent, if not 80 percent, of those member associations where there are challenges and problems.
“I will cost money (to offer financial assistance). It’s my job to find it (the money).”
Motsepe added that the programme was vital for providing sound administration for African football.
“The bottom line is we need African football to be sustainable, self-supporting and profitable,” said Motsepe.
“When sponsors, investors and our partners look at football run by people with expertise and skills, in a manner that complies with governance, auditing and accounting practices, it makes it appealing.
“In this way, it will contribute to the growth and success of football.”
UCT’s leadership was represented by Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe, Prof Mosa Moshabela and council chair Adv Norman Arendse SC.
Moloi-Motsepe, wife of Patrice Motsepe, said the partnership was a union of excellence, leadership and innovation.